Circuit-breaker.



J. L. ADAMS, JR. CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPUCATION FILED DEC. 5. 1910.

1 1 75, 330. Patented Mar. 14, 1916 2 SHEETSSHEET I.

WITNESSES:

2VENTOR J. L. ADAMS JR.

CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED nzc. 5.1910.

1, 175,330. Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

WITNESSES:

- v ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L. ADAMS, JR., WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING-HOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL-VANIA.

CIRCUII BREAKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 5. 1910. Serial No. 595,667.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. AnAMs, Jr., a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Wilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inCircuit-Breakers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic electrically operated circuit breakersof the railway type and it has special reference to such devices as areadapted to tie together the adjacent segregated sections of trolleyWires or third-rails of an electric railway system.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of the above-indicatedclass that shall be simple, rugged and compact in construc tion,effective and reliable in operation and adapted to automatically openunder predetermined abnormal circuit conditions on either of theadjacentsections which it ties together, and further adapted toautomatically reconnect said Sections only when substantially normalconditions are restored to both sections.

In electric railway systems, it is particularly desirable tosectionalize the entire system in order that trouble on any one sectionmay be localized, and not interrupt the tratiic of the whole system.Furthermore, it is of prime importance to maintain good voltageregulation, to reduce the line losses to a minimum and to decrease theinitial expenditure for copper, and it has been customary, therefore, totie together the various sections under normal operating conditions inorder that the copper may be employed most eflieiently. I

If knife switches or non-automatic circuit-closing devices are used atthe section breaks, serious grounds or short circuits on any section areapt to disable the entire in terconnected system, until the damagedsection has been cut out by hand or the source of trouble removed. Iffused switches are used, they will promptly disconnect the defectivesection, but, when a fuse has been blown, it must be replaced by hand,which may involve more or less repeated delavs and consequent loweringof the average distributcd potential during such periods. is, therefore,essential that any anti tie-in device should he -zlisigjned to c;

promptly upon the occurrence of predetermined abnormal circuitconditions, and to automaticallv reconnect the segregated sections assoon as, and not until, practically normal conditions have beenrestored.

Heretofore, the results above mentioned have been accomplished; but onlythrough the use of a more or less complicated system of wiring and aconsiderable number of relays and auxiliary switches which have provedunsatisfactory and objectionable from an operative standpoint on accountof the cost of installation and maintenance and their unreliabilityunder exposed service conditions.

According to my invention, I provide a seif-containedelectrically-operated circuit breaker which is adapted to automaticallytie together two adjacent sections in the manner referred to, when, andonly when, the voltage on each section is substantially normal, and todisconnect said sections under conditions of severe short circuit,serious grounds, or predetermined low voltage on either of the adjacentsections. If the several sections of a railway system be thus tiedtogether, it will be seen that upon the occurrence of a predeterminedabnormal circuit condition on any section, that particular section willbe segregated from the rest of the system and remain segregated untilnormal conditions have again been restored.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view, in front elevation,of a circuitbreaker constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2is a view, partially in horizontal section and partially in plan, of thecircuit breaker shown in Fig. 1, the sectional plane being takenintermediate the magnet coils shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view,partially in vertical section and partially in side elevation, of aportion of the circuit-ln'eaker shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is adiagrammatic view showing the circuit connections of the saidcircuitbreaker.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a

circuit breaker 1 comprises a base or panel a stationary magnet corestructure 3, a iriorable core member 4, a plurality of mag windings 5and (i, a plurality of st aon t contact terminals 7, a bridging conmember 5 a magnetic blow-out device 9 and an automatic release mechanism10. If preferred, the base 2 and stationary magnet structure 3 may formpart of, and be integral with, a cast iron or pressed steel inclcsingcase.

The stationary core structure 3 is suitably mounted. upon the base orpanel 2 and coinprises upper and lower yoke members 11 and 12, and sidereturn magnetic circuit members 13 and 1.4, which are secured betweensaid yoke members. Parts 11 to 14, inclusive, may, if preferred, beformed in one piece. -A salient polemember 16 is closely associated withthe upper yoke member 11 and extends downwardly to a point approximatelymidway between. the two yoke members.

A tube or sleeve 17 ilerial, which surrounds the salient pole member 16,extends .t'rom the upper yoke member 11 through the lower yoke member12. The lower portion of the tube 17 is adapted to receive the movablecore member or plunger 4, which is loosely fitted therein. ie uppersurface of the plunger 4 is beveled oif slightly, as shown in' Fig. 3,to locally increase the magnetic density andthereby the drop of magneticpotential in the immediate vicinity of the plane of contact between saidplunger and salient pole 16.

An insulating coupling lSconnects a projecting portion '19 of themovable core membar 4 to a supporting member 20 from which the movaiirllcontact member 8 is pivotally 4 wspended to coiiperate with thestationary contact terminals 7 when the circuit interrupter is closed.

The magnetic blow-out device 9 (through which the current is shuntedwhen the main contacts 7 and 8 are opened) is of wellknown construction,and its function and mode of operation are old and familiar in the art.Therefore, no description of the same is considered necessary, and it isevident that any other suitable device for accomplishing the samepurpose may be employed. If desired, in certain cases, such an auxiliaryare breaking device may be omitted entirely. Furthermore, the stationarycontact terminals 7 crating bridging contact member 8 form no part of miinvention, except as they perform functions essential to an operativecoml'iinatiou, and they may also be replaced by any other suitabledevices. 7

The release mechanism 10 comprises a main lever member which ispivotally mounted, near its lower end, upon a pin 26 which extendsbetween bracket members 27. Below the pivotal support of the main lever2-3, is an extended portion 28, which carries a screw 29 for the purposecircuitbreaker to close at oltage. A lever ported, at one end,

a predetermined 30 is also pivotally supupon the shaft 26 and its ofnonanagnetic maof adjusting the other end is located between the lowerportion of the movable core member 4 and the insulating coupling 18 insuch manner that its movement is dependent upon the movement of the coremember 4, as will be readily understood. Furthermore, the lever 30 isadapted to engage the adjusting screw 29 when the core member 4 is inits lower position or when the main lever 25 is in the open position(shown dotted).

A threaded stud 31 is suitably secured to the operating lever 25 and isprovided with a weight 32 and a nut 33 by means of which the operationof the release mechanism ma be adjusted as desired. It is evident thatthe weight 32 may be replaced by any other equivalent device.

Secured t0 the upper end of the operating lever 25. is a cross arm 34 ofconducting material which is preferably insulated from the lever.25 andcarries auxiliary contact terminals 35 at its respective ends. As shown,the contact terminals 35 are of the carbon butt contact type and arespring supported.

owever, terminals of any other suitable construction may be employed,and it is evident that the release mechanism may be so modified as torequire but one auxiliary contact member instead of two. A bar ofmagnetic material 37 is mounted upon the cross arm 34, by means ofscrews 38, and constitutes a movable armature for a peculiar type ofmagnet structure to be hereinafter described. In order to prevent thearmature 37 from freezin to the aforesaid magnet structure, suitabfiestops 36 are provided which may conveniently comprise the extended endsof the screws 38.

The stationary contact terminals 39 are suitably secured. to the ends ofconducting members 40 which are rigidly fastened to the panel or base 2,and said stationary contact terminals are so disposed as to cooperate.

with the movable contact terminals 35.

Between the upper and lower magnet coils 5 and 6, are disposed poleshoes 42 and 43 of magnetic material, which surround the sleeve or tube17 and have projecting portions 44 and 45, respectively. a The poleshoes 42 and 43 are of similar structure and are oppositely assembled,so that the extremities 46 of the said projecting portions form suitableengaging surfaces, which are alined in substantially the same verticalplane and are arranged to cooperate with the movable magnetizable bar orarmature 37. It is evident that any one of several more or less similarstructures might be substituted for the above-described pole shoe andarmature structure. Furthermore, a heavy ring 47 of non-magnetic buthighly conducting m aterialand of relatively large diameter surroundsthe tube 17 between the magnet mature 37, just as the breaker wasclosing, with a consequent tendency for the undervoltage mechanism toact just at this time and re-open the breaker. The breaker would thenagain endeavor to close, the outcome being a repeated pumping or huntingaction, which might go on indefinitely until the resulting arcing hadruined the main contact members. However, while the breaker is closingand the magnetism is building up through the main air-gap be tween thestationary core 16 and the plunger 4, it must also necessarily increasethrough the ring 47, which being highly conducting, tends to preventsuch increase and, in doing so, obliges a greater than normal percentageof the total flux to temporarily take the side path around the ring andthrough the armature 87, thus compensating for, and practicallyannulling, the above-mentioned tendency to hunt. B suitably adjustingthe position of the weight 32, it is evident that the ccoperatingstationary and movable contact members-35 and 39 may be caused toseparate at any desired low voltage. thus interrupting the ground orreturn circuit connection of both magnet coils 5 and 6 and causing themain contact members 7 and 8 of the interrupter to be therebyautomatically opened.

Past experience in electric railway work has demonstrated the ting suchcircuit breaking devices sothat they will disconnect the adjacentsections whenever a moderate fall of voltage occurs, for the reason thatwhen such breakers open up and so segregate the several trolley orthird-rail sections, there will usually result a further more or lessgeneral fall of operating voltage along all the trolley or third railconducting system, thus causing further interference with the generalvoltage sup ply. Such breakers are usually so adjusted that they willnot open up except under severe or extremely abnormal conditions. Inelectric railway systems employing voltages from 500 to 600 volts, ithas been found desirable to set such interrupting devices so that theywill open if the potential falls to 250 volts. In some cases, however, a2 0 volt or even a 150 volt release setting may be preferred. Hence, theunder-voltage release mechanism of the circuit breaker is so adjusted,by changing the position of the weight 32, that when the voltage hasfallen to the potential determined upon the shunted flux through thepole shoe 42, armature 37'and pole shoe shall be just sufficient to holdup said armature and maintain the cooperating contact terminals and 39in their closed positions.

If we assume that the voltage at the circuit breaker falls below thepreviously set limit, by reason of a serious ground or short circuitsomewhere upon the system, it is eviinadvisa bility of setdent that thepull of the weight 32 upon the armature 37 will be in excess of the nowreduced magnetic pull exerted upon said armature by the pole shoes 42and 43, and, hence, the separation of the auxiliary coir tact members 35and 39 is effected and thr under-voltage release lever 25 assumes theposition shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 3.

Upon the separation of contact terminals 35 and 39, the ground or returnconnection of both magnet coils 5 and 6 is interrupted and whatevercurrent may then flow through both coils in series will be in suchdirection as to neutralize the magnetic effect of both and allow themovable core member l to drop, thereby causing the bridging contactmember 8 to separate from the stationary contact terminals 7 and regatethe feeders, the final break taking place in the nrodisrupting device 9.In so doing, the lever 30, which is in engagement with the adjustablescrew 29 when the re-- lease lever 2.") is in its open position, is carried down and causes said release lever to iJL raised to again effectthe engagement of contact terminals 35 and 39, as will be read ilyunderstood. Thus, the ground connec tion for both magnet coils is atonce re established. Assuming that normal voltage is again restored toboth adjacent sectiims, the pull exerted upon the movable core member 4causes said member to be rai: 1., thereby effecting the closure of thee(.-i% i: i"- ating stationary and movable contact incur bers 7 and 8 asbefore, but such closure will not take place until practically normal ptential has momentarily returned to n t onl one but both of thetemporarily segregand trolley or third-rail sections 01 and 53. Sin itwill be impossible to maintan'i full tial on any segregated troll- 2-!it section on which an abnormal cessive overload or a shost u. it iserident that such a detective s will be kept isolated until suchabnorznainfi has been removed or corrected, when it be promptly andautomatically COIlllitftmi o the condini-ting network.

Those skilled in the art will understthat although I have shown anddescribe; a circuit-breaker or interrupter of specific structure andconnections, various modifications may be effected therein withoutexceeding the spirit and scope of my invention, and I desire that onlysuch limitations shall be imposed as are indicated in the appendedclaims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In acircuit-controlling mechanism, the combinat on with cotiperatingcontact members, of electromagnetic means for etfectin engagement of thecontact members. an means normally connected maghoticall in shunt withthe said first means and dep ndent upon the distribution of flux thereinfor causing the disengagement of the said contact members.

2. In a circuit controlling mechanism, the combination with coiiperatingcontact members, and magnetic means for bringing said members intocontact upon the occurrence of certain predetermined conditions on eachof a plurality of circuit conductors, of magnetizable means linked withsaid first means and energized thereby for effecting the separation ofsaid contact members.

3. In a circuitclosing mechanism, the combination with cooperatingcontact members, of electromagnetic means for effecting engagement ofthe said contact members upon the occurrence of predetermined conditionson each of a plurality of circuit conductors, and means normallyassociated in shunt 'with, and magnetically dependent upon, thedistribution of flux in the said first means for causing thedisengagement of the said contact members upon the occurrence of certainother predetermined conditions.

4. In a. circuit interrupter, the combination with cooperating contactmembers, of electromagnetic means for bringing said members into contactupon the occurrence of certain predetermined voltage conditions on eachof a plurality of conductors, and means magnetically associated withsaid electromagnetic means and energized thereby for causing theseparation of said contacts upon the occurrence of certain otherpredetermined circuit conditions.

5. In a circuit interrupter, the combination with cooperating contactmembers, of elcctro-magnetically operated means dependent uponpredetermined circuit conditions of a plurality of separate circuits forcausing engagement of said cooperating members and means magneticallylinked with said first means and dependent upon the distribution of fluxtherein for causing the separation of said cooperating members underpredetermined abnormal conditions on any of said circuits.

6. In a circuit controlling mechanism, the combination with cooperatingcontact members, of electro-ma netic means responsive to predetermined cectrical conditions of a plurality of separate circuits for causing theclosure of said coiiperating members, said means being adapted tomaintain said clo sure while said predetermined. conditions exist, andmeans magnetically associated with said closing means for causing saidcoop-- crating contact members to open.

7. In a circuit interrupter, the conibination with coiiperating contactmembers, of automatic electromagnetic means for closing said cooperatingcontact members under predetermined Voltage conditions on a pin ralityof separate conductors, and automatic means magnetically associated withsaid closing means and energized thereby for opening saidcotiperatingcontact members under predetermined voltage conditions of any of saidconductors.

8. Ina circuit interrupter, the combination with cooperating contactmembers, of an electromagnet comprising a plurality of magnet coils eachdependent upon the voltage condition of a separate conductor, commonstationary and movable core members for said coils, said movable coremember being adapted to cause engagement of said contact members onlywhen all of said coilsare energized a predetern'iined amount, andseparate means dependent upon the distributi n of the magnetic flux ofsaid electromagnet for causing the separation of said contact members.

9. A circuit interrupter comprising a plurality of stationary contactterminals, a coiiperating bridging contact member, two closing coilsmounted co-axial ly, common stationary and movable core members for saidcoils, magnetiz'able members disposed between said coils, an armaturenormally maintained in engagement with said magnetizable members, a setof auxiliary contact terminals through which a common connection forsaid coils is completed when said armature is in its normal posi ion,adjustable means for opposing the magnetic attraction normally exertedon said armature,

.and mechanical means for causing engage- .said contact memberscomprising two exciting windings accumulatively connected and a singlestationary and a single movable core member for said windings, saidwindings being connected to separate circuits and having a common returncircuit, of magnetic means associated with said operating means anddependent upon the flux therein for de'c nergizing said excitingwindings upon. the occurrence of predetermined circuit conditions oneither of said circuits.

11. In a circuit interrupter, the combination with cooperatingstationary and movable contact members, and an operating magnet for saidmovable contact member comprising two magnet windings accumulativelyconnected and dependent for energization upon two separate circuits, andcommon stationary and movable core members for said magnet windings,said windings having a common return circuit, of electromagnetic meansfor interrupting said connnonreturn circuit under predeterminedconditions on either of said circuits, and means for automaticailyrestablishing said return circuit subsequent to the opening of saidinterrupter.

12, ,The combination with stationary and movable contact members, ofoperating means for said movable contact member magnetizable pole piecesunder normal operating conditions, and means dependent upon the strengthof the magnetic flux through said armature for causing the separation ofthe cooperating contact members.

13. In a circuit interrupter, the combination with cooperating contactmembers, and an electromagnet comprising a plurality of energizing coilsfor causing the engagement of said contact members, of means disposedbetween said coils and embodying a magnetic circuit in shunt to saidelectromagnet for effecting the separation of said contact members.

14. In a circuit interrupter, the combination with cooperating contactmembers and electromagnetic means for effecting the engagement thereof,of means embodying anormally closed magnetic circuit in shunt to saidelectromagnetic means for effecting the separation of sa'id contactmembers.

15. In a circuit interrupter, the combination with cooperating contactmembers and an electromagnet comprising stationary and movable cores foreffecting the engagement of said contact members, of means embodying amagnetic circuit in shunt around the gap between said cores foreffecting the separation of said contact members.

16. In a circuit interrupter, the combination with cooperating contactmembers and an electromagnet comprising stationary and movable cores foreffecting the engagement of said contact members, of means for nor mallydeflecting a portion of the flux destationary and movable cores, anenergizing winding therefor, an auxiliary magnetic path in shunt tosaidcores and means tending to -'prevent changes in flux traversing saidauxiliary path.

19. In an electromagnetic device, the combination with stationary andmovable cores, an energizing winding therefor, and a plurality ofmagnetizable members encircling 1 said cores, of a conducting memberalso encircling said cores and disposed intermediate said magnetizablemembers, and a movable core member for normally engaging saidmagnetizable members, said conducting member encircling said cores beingprovided for preventing any rapid fluctuation gf the flux in the saidmagnetizable memers.

20. In a circuit interrupter, the combination with cooperating contactmembers, an electromagnet embodying two energizing coils having a commoncircuit, and a switching device in said circuit, of a plurality ofstationary magnetic polar members disposed between said coils and amovable armature adapted to cooperate with said polar members forgoverning said switching device.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 29th dayof November 1910 JAMES L. ADAMS, JR.

Witnesses.

I; AnoUsriNUs, B.- B. HINES.

